Hot-water system



H. JUNKERS OTIWATER SYSTEM Filed oct. 2o, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 Oct. 8,1,935. l H. JuNKl-:Rs

HOT WATER- SYSTEM Filed oct". 2o, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2y m a@ 53. u wm n1 m u d' m f DI UU. d w w Patented: Oct. 1935 yPATENT oFFlcE HOT-WATERSYSTEM Hugo Junkers, Dessau, Germany, asslgnor to Junkers & Co. G. m. b.II., Dessau, Germany Application lctobel' 20, 1931, Serial No. 569,929In Germany October 24, 1930 s claims. (c1. lsv- 79) My invention relatesto hot-water systems and more particularly to systems in which tappingstations are supplied with hot water froml heaters. l

It is an object of my invention to improve a system of this kind. Tothis end. I provide a heater, which may be a storage reservoir or boilerheated by any source of heat or an instantaneous y and iiow heater. Bothtypes of, heaters' are l equipped with heating means such as' gasburners or the like. The storage-reservoir type ofheater is heatedpermanently so that a supply of hot water is always available, whilethe-instantaneou's type is heated intermittently, its heating meansbeing operated only when water ows in' the heater. s

In combination with this heater or reservoir I provide a pipe forsupplying cold water to, and

a pipe for tapping hot water from, theheater or reservoir. In thecold-water supply pipe I provide a vvalve for regulating the ow of coldwater to the heater or reservoir and means such as a ilexible diaphragmunder the control of the pressure gradient from the supply pipe forvoperating 85. the regulating valve. The supply pipe and the tapping pipeare connected directly 4by a by-pass for equalislng the p in the twopipes. The

by-pasz. is permanently open so that the pressures areequalizedindependently of the operation of the regulating valve.

` In systems of the kind described. as designed heretofore the heater ispermanently connected to the supply ipeso that, -at least during theintervals of the pping periods the heater is under the full pressure ofthe water in the supply pipe andmust be so strong as to stand thispressure.

' 'By the regulating means and the by-pass according to my inventionlthe heater is disconnected fromthe supply pipe during the intervals l"between tapping and connected tothe supply ds and the pressures in thesupply and' in the tapping pipe lpipe only during the tapping perio areeqlalized between the tapping periods. In this manner the heater willnever be subjected to '45" the full pressure of the water supply Vbutonly 'to the reduced tapping pressure. This is particularly importantfor` heating systems having largecapacity storage reservoirs which areheated during the intervals between tapping. I. The automatic regulatingmeans referred to also'permit equipping a system with several heatingunits which may be of a diiferen't character,

for instance static storage reservoirs -combined'- with a flowreservoir, Vor units of various capaclf ties for alternate operation, orgroups of units of equal capacity in which a greater or lesser number ofunits or groups are operated as required and, bythe automatic regulatingmeans according to my invention, the several units or groups areautomatically rendered active and inactive in conformity with thehot-water demand.

It is ,another object of my invention to providel a safety device whichcooperates with the regulating means and may be a normal rising pipe. Tothis end I provide automatic means under the l0 control of theregulating means for cutting out the safety device or rising pipe duringtapping,.so that it'is active only in the intervals between lthe tappingperiods.

In the drawings amxed and forming partlthereof several systems embodyingmy invention are illustrateddiagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of a sys- 20 temhaving separate means for regulating the flow of cold water tothe heaterand for cutting out the safety device under the control of theregulating means,

Fig. 2 is a sectional which the regulating and cutting-out means. arecombined for cooperation,

Fig. 3 isa sectional elevation of a system in which the free sectionalarea of the by-pass between the tapping stations and the supply pipe 30"is regulated by-a valve connected to acheck valve in the tapping pipe,l

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a system in which the connectionbetween the cold-water a hermostat,

Fig. 5 is a partly sectional elevation showing the combination of astorage4 reservoir or boiler and an instantaneous or 'flow heater, and

Fig. 6 shows a group of flow heaters which are 40A all connected to thesame tapping pipe.

Referring nowjto the drawings and first to Fig. 1, I is a reservoirwhich in the present instance is a boiler or storage reservoir which isheated'by any suitable means such as a gas burn- 45 er |21 to which issupplied through a pipe |28, 2 is the cold-water supply pipe, 5, 5 is avalve `casing which is connected to the pipe 2, and 2' is a' pipe whichconnects the valve casing to. the

reservoir I.- 3 is a valve infthe casing 5, 5' which '50 is supported bya diaphragm 4 witha closing spring 23. The diaphragm subdivides thecasing into the upper .chamber 5 andthe lower chamber 5. .The lowerchamber 5 is connected to the pipes 2 and 2' and the valve 3 is seatedin this 55 tov this specification 15 velevation of a system in imlsupply pipe and the tapping pipe is regulated-by $5" chamber on theupper end of the pipe 2 under the pressure .of the spring 23.

1 is the tapping pipe which at one end is connected to tapping stationsshown as cocks 8, 8

land to a check valve II at the reservoir end. 6

- ber 5' of the valve casing.

i2 is a rising pipe which is connected to the pipe 2' at its lower, andto an open collector I5 with a drain I6 at its upper end. 55, 55' is acasing at the rising pipe I2, I3 is a valve, I4 is a diaphragm in thecasing, and I9 is a spring which tends to lift the valve I3 off a seatin the rising pipe. The chamber of the casing is connected to the pipe 2through the rising pipe I2 and the chamber 55 is connected to the pipe 2through a pipe I1, i8 being a restricted portion in the pipe 2intermediate the pipes I2 and I1.

Fig. l shows the valves 3 and I3 in the positionswhich they assume whenwater is tapped at one of the stations 8. I'he valve 3 is open and thevalve i3 is closed. In the intervals between tapping the pressure of thewater in the pipe 2 is transmitted to the upper chamber 5' of the valvecasing through the pipes 6 and I0 and the valve 3 is seated on the upperend of the pipe 2 by its spring 23. Reaction of the pressure in thepipes 2, t, and 1 on the water in the reservoir I is prevented by thecheck valve I I and by the closed valve 3. When water is tapped at 8 thepressure in the pipe 1 is reduced and is made up only gradually frompipe 2 through the restricted portion 9 of the by-pass pipe 6. Thepressure in the chamber5 is reduced also as the chamber 5' is connectedto 1 through 6 and I0, and the valve 3 is lifted o i its seat. Coldwater from the pipe 2 rises in the reservoir AI through the pipe 2',andv heated Water is expelled to the tapping station 8 through checkvalve I I. The valve I3 in the rising pipe I 2 is normally held open byits spring I9 and connects the reservoir I to the rising pipe I2 throughchamber 55. The water under pressure which is admitted to the pipe 2'when the valve 3 opens during a tapping period, is backed Aup at I8 and,through pipe I1 and chamber 55',

forces the valve I3 on its seat, breaking the connection of the pipe 2with the rising pipe I2 so that the pressure at which the water istapped, is not limited to that corresponding to the head of water in therising pipe I2, but may be higher.

The variations of pressure at the valves 3 and I3 may in themselves besumcient forV operating the valves so that the restricted. portions 9and/ or I 8 in the pipes 6 and 2', respectively, may be dispensed with.

Instead of diaphragms 4 and I4 as shown, pls.-

tons or any other suitable means may be providedfor controlling thevalves 3 and I3. The valve I3 in the rising pipe may be a safety valveas will be described.

.It will be understood that the automatic regulating valve 3 is socontrolled that it permits water from pipe 2 to flow to the reservoir Ithrough pipe 2' if water is tapped, and interrupts the connection whenthe'- tapping ceases. Reaction .of the pressure in the pipe 2 on theraser.-

' voir is' prevented by the check'valve II intermediate the reservoirand the tapping pipe 1. By-

these means the reservoir is relieved from pressure during the intervalsbetween the tapping Y opening in the pipe 5 which it controls.

periods and is not under the full pressure of the water in pipe 2 duringthe tapping periods.

The valve I3 in the rising pipe I2 is not indispensable but ispreferably provided and so controlled that it is open during theintervals be- 5 tween the tapping periods so that the rising pipeprevents excess of pressure in the reservoir I, which might occur by theheat expansion of the liquid or if the valve 3 or the valve II leaks. Ifthe valve I3 is designed as a safety valve it must 10 open independentlyof the control by the automatic regulating valve 3.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the arrangement of the several members issubstantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1 but the valves 3and I3 are 15 combined into a double-seated valve on a spindle 20 underthe control of the diaphragm 4. The valve 3 has a 'seat 33, and thevalve I3 has a seat H33 in a downward extension of the chamber 5 of thevalve casing, the pipe 2 being connected 20 to the casing above the seat33, the pipe`2' intermediate the seats 33 and 33, and the pipe I2 belowthe seat |33. 2| is a bore in the portion of the valve spindle whichextends from the diaphragm 4 to the valve 3. This bore which cor- 25responds to the by-Dass pipe 6 in Fig. 1 and replaces the restriction 9,connects the pipe 2 to the pipe 6 which is here connected to the upperchamber 5 at one end and to the tapping pipe 1 at the other. l

Referring now to Fig. 3, the valve 3 isarranged substantially asdescribed with reference to Fig. 2 but there is no rising pipe I2 andthe lower end of the valve spindle cooperates with a safety valvel |34which is held by a spring |23 on a seat |35 35 in the casing 55intermediate the connection of the pipe 2 and the drain I5 to the casing5G. When the valve 3 closes the valve |34 is opened by the spindleV 20.When the valve 3 is open as shown in Fig. 3 the spring |23 closes thevalve |34 40 but the valve is free to open if any excess pressure occursin the reservoir I.

In this case the restriction 9 in Fig. 1 is re placed by a hole 99 witha needle valve 24 on the spindle I II of the check valve II which is' 45here shown as a mushroom valve and not as a ball, as in Fig. 1. When thecheck valve II opens., the needle valve 24 restricts the free area oftheA rising pipe is not required in the vsystem illustrated in 50 Fig. 3because the 'valve casing 5, 5' is arranged above the reservoir I. I

Referring now to Fig. 4, the arrangement is similar to that shown inFig.3 but here the restriction 9 is replaced by a valve 25 on the seat33 55 which is controlled by a thermostat member 23 in the tapping pipe1 above the check valve II. The seat 93 is connected to chamber 5 by apipe 51 so that water from 2 has access to the tapping pipe 1 throughvalve 25. Y 60 By providing means, preferably automatic, such as thisthermostat control, for varying the amount of cold water admixedto thewarm water in the tapping pipe the temperature at the tapping station isregulated. 65

By providing means for restricting or clomng the by-pass, such as thevalve 24,Flg. 3, and 25, Fig. 4, excessive admission of cold water tothe tapping station through the by-pass is avoided. The valves may becontrolled together with the 70 device for regulating the supply of coldwater to the by-pass heater, as shown in Fig. 5 for the Referring now toFig. 5, this shows the combination of a large-capacity storage reservoiror 75 the supply of gas main |28 as described for the heater I in Fig.1, and, if desired, provided with a thermostatic element-|29 in thereservoir 21. The pipes 2 and 2 are under the control of the valve 8 inthe casing 5, 5 as described which is here arranged in verticalposition. The storage reservoir 21 is connected to the chamber 8' of thecasing' by pipe B and' the valve 8 has a. bore 2| adapted to cooperatewith a seat 8l in the wall of the chamber 5' for controlling the iiowthrough the bore-2|. 29 is a valve in the gas main |25 by which theburner |24 of the circulation heater is supplied, |20 is an igniting and23 is the spring which tends to seat the valves 3 and 29 together. Thisspring is here arranged on the spindle 20 and abutted on a partition |22in the casing 56, with a stufilng box |2|.

It will be understood that in this case the connection of the pipe 2 tothe storage reservoir 21 ,and the tapping pipe 6 by-passes the flowheater.

28, and the valve 8-for controlling the water supply to the flow heater2 8 is controlled by the flow from pipe 2 to the by-passed heater 21. Inthis manner if the demand is small, it is supplied only from the storagereservoir 21, while if it is high the iiow heater 28 begins to operate,as follows: If a small quantity of water is tapped at one of thestations 8 cold water from bore 2| is admitted to the pipe 8 and expeisthe heated water in the storage reservoir 21 through pipe 8a and tappingpipe 1. If the demand is higher the reduction of pressure in the bore 2|causes the diaphra'gm 4 to be deflected, the valve 8 is opened and waterfrom 2 is admitted to the now heater 28 the burner |24 of which at thesame time is supplied with gas from main |28 through valve 28.

The deflection of the diaphragm causes the flow past the 'seat 8 towardthe storage reservoir 21 to be restricted so that water is now deliveredto the tapping stations 8 practically exclusively throughthe flow heater28.

Referring now to Fig. 6 this shows a plurality, 'in the present instancefour, now heaters 28a-2lb connected to a tapping pipe 1 by pipes 6b.Three valve casings 8, 5' with the valves 8 are arranged as describedwith reference to Fig. l but in vertlcal position, their chambers 5being connected to the pipe 2 by suitable branch pipes 228, each with arestriction 8a, while the chamber 5' in each casing is connected to theseat of the valve P'l 3 in the adjacent chamber 5 with the exception ofthe first casing. The valve l8 in each casing controls the connection ofthe pipe 2 to the corresponding heaters 2812, 28e, 28d, as described forthe heater I with reference to Fig. 1. 'Ihe first heater 28a isvconnected to the pipe 2 by a pipe 66 with a restriction 9a. This pipe 88is connected'to the chamber 5 of the casing for the heater 28h by a pipeI0 so that the pressure reduction in the pipe 56 controls the iiowy ofthe liquid to the heater 28h. Similarly the pressure in this heatercontrols the valve 3 of the heater 2801 and so on. 32 are controlapparatus of knlown type which are connected tothe pipe 2 and the pipes66 andr2', respectively, for regulating gas from the main |25 to theburners |24 in conformity withthe ow of water. In the h'eatersy28l7, 28eand' 28d the supply of gas might .be controlled directly by thediaphragms 4 in the several casings 5, 5.

jet for the burner |24 pipe for supplying tapping hot water i I wish itto be understood that I do not desire -to be limited tothe exact detailsof construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occurto a person skilled vin the art.

In the claims affixed to this specification no selection of anyparticular modification ofthe invention is intended to the exclusion ofother U modifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claimto any modification not covered by these claims is expressly reserved. Iclaim:

l. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a

pipe for supplying cold water to, and a pipe 'for tapping hot waterfrom, said heater, a check valve intermediate said heater and saidtapping pipe for preventing return flow from said heater to said tappingpipe, a valve in said cold-water supply pipe for controlling the flow ofcold water to said heater, means controlled by the pressure gradientfrom said supply pipe to said tap-` ping pipe for operating said valve,a relief valve in the portion of the supply pipe which extends from saidcontrolling valve to said heater, and a by-pass directlyconnecting saidsupply pipe to said tapping pipe for equalizing the pressures in saidsupply and said tapping pipe.

2. Ahot-water system comprising a heater, a pipe for supplying cold'Water to, and a pipe for tapping hot water from, said heater, a valve insaid cold-water supply pipe for controlling the flow of cold water tosaid heater, means controlled by the pressure gradient from said supplypipe to said tapping pipe for operating said valve, a relief valve whichis operatively connected to said controlling valve and adapted toconnect said heater to a space in which the pressure is lower than insaid heater, and a by-pass directly connecting said supply pipe to saidtapping pipe for 3. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a 40 coldwater to, and a pipe for from, said heater, a valve in said cold-watersupply pipe for controlling the flow of cold water to said heater, meanscontrolled by the pressure gradient from said supply pipe to saidtapping pipe foroperating said valve, a loaded safety valve adapted toconnect said heater to a space in which the pressure is lowercontrolling valve andby the pressure in said heater, and a by-passdirectly connecting lsaid supply pipe to said tapping pipe forequalizing the pressures in said supply andsaid tapping pipe forsupplying cold water to, and a pipe for tapping hot water from, saidheater, a valve in said cold-water supply pipe for controlling the flowof cold water to said` heater, means controlled by the pressure gradientfrom said supply pipe to said tapping pipe for operating said valve,`arelief valve adapted to connect said heater to a space in which thepressure is lower than in said heater, and to be opened by said 5o De.4. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a 55 than in said heater andto .be opened by said 65 controlling valve, means positively connectingsaid controlling valve to said relief valve, and a i by-pass directlyconnecting said supply pipeto said tapping pipe for equalizing thepressures in said supply and said tapping pipe.

5. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a

pipe for supplying. `cold water tc, and a pipe for tappingl hot waterfrom, said heater, a casing subdivided into two compartments, one ofwhich is 1connected to said supply pipe, and the other 75 to saidtapping pipe, a valve in said casing for controlling the ilow of coldwater to said heater, means controlled by the pressure gradient betweensaid compartments for operating said valve, and a by-pass directlyconnecting saidsupply pipeto said tapping pipe for equalizing thepressures in said supplyA and said tapping pipe.

6. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a pipe for supplying coldwater to, and. a pipe for tapping hot Water from, said heater, a valvein said cold-water supply pipe for controlling the ow of cold water tosaid heater, means controlled by the pressure gradient fromsaidsupplypipe to said tapping pipe for operating said valve, a by-passdirectly connecting saidsupply pipe to said tapping pipe for equalizingthe pressures in said supply and said tapping pipe, and means controlledby the iiow in said tapping pipe for varying the free sectional area ofsaid by-pass.

7. A hot-water system comprising a heater, a

'pipe for supplyingl cold water to, and a. pipe for tapping hot Waterfrom, said heater, a valve in said cold-water supply pipe forcontrolling the How of cold water to said heater, means con"- trolled bythe pressure gradient from said supply 'pip'e to said tapping pipe foropening said valve when a pressure gradient is established by tappingirom said tapping pipe, and for closing said valve when the pressuregradient is removed by interrupting the tapping, a. by-pass directlyconnecting said supply pipe to said tapping pipe for equalizing thepressures in said supply and said tapping pipe, and 'means in saidby-pass for generating a pressure gradient therein.

8. A hot-water systemcomprising a heater, a 'pipe for supplying coldwater to, and a pipe for tapping hot water from, said heater, a valve insaid cold-water supply pipe for controlling the flow of cold water tosaid heater, a by-pass directly connecting said supply pipe to saidtapping 15 pipe for equalizing the pressures in said supply pipe andsaid tapping pipe, means in said bypass for generating a pressuregradient therein and means controlled by the pressure gradient in saidby-pass for opening said valve when a pres- 20 sure gradient isestablished by tapping from said tapping pipe, and for closing saidvalve when the pressure gradient is removed by interrupting the tapping.

HUGO JUN'KERS. 25

